Flames
by WorshipperOfObito
Summary: Naruto gets sick of getting the shiznatt pounded out of him in Konoha. He goes to the village of shadows, followed by Sakura, who comes maybe cuz she likes him. Includes Love, loss, suffering, fires, raids, deaths, birth, war and other stuff.


FLAMES

By Darkshadowhand

_Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I do own Shinari and his gang plus all of the citizens of the village of shadows. Dey mine. _

_Summary- Naruto gets sick of getting the shiznatt pounded out of him in Konoha. He goes to the village of shadows, followed by Sakura, who comes maybe cuz she likes him. Sakura's daddy is kind of a pyromaniac in this… I know nothing about him for real. Includes (But is not limited to)- Love, loss, suffering, fires, raids, deaths, birth, war and other stuff. PS- I will not be splitting this into chapters. It'll be a part one and two. I messed up real bad last time I did chapters and it was a pain in my ass to fix. Is that OK with you? Cool. _

The blonde was slowly circled, each foe calm and cool… contemptuous, as if contemplating the resulting screams of pain if they struck here… or there… or there… It had been happening more and more often, now and then with one or two new people who wanted in on the _fun_. With lightning speed somewhere behind him, the first blow landed right on his left shoulder blade, quickly followed by a stab at his kidney, a solid kick to the back of his knees, multiple slams to his ribs and plenty more. To top that off, each blow was followed by some insult or remark about how detested he was or how he was the demon fox. Naruto had long since learned not to fight back unless he wanted to die. Two months ago, he had knocked one of his attackers unconscious, only to have the remaining hold him down as they burned his back. It had quickly become a favorite game and soon it even became tradition. These days he just waited for it to be over. They'd have their enjoyment and leave him alone. Then he'd act as if nothing had happened and continue with his life for the sake of the people he actually cared about. A solid half hour passed (Naruto was counting) before the lot of them became uninterested and left him crumbled in the woods. The jacket and shirt he had been previously stripped of for their fire game lay close by. He crawled forward, snagged them between weary fingers and haphazardly tossed them on before he forced himself into a disfigured standing position against the closest tree and slowly began to reconnect to the damage marring his tan skin. His jacket was rumpled, bruises painfully growing underneath. No doubt they cracked a rib or three in their merciless assault. No knives this time, though. His blistering back made him wince as he rested it against the tree. Now he was grateful for his ability to heal quickly. He had planned on going home after a short rest, but he felt unconsciousness tugging at his mind. Naruto looked around to make sure they were all really gone before reluctantly giving into the darkness.

"What do you think happened to him?" the voice was distant but familiar…

Husky, but Naruto could hear the slight edge of concern drifting through the words.

"It looks bad. We shouldn't move him. Hinata, go have someone come here to check his condition." A quieter voice. No obvious emotion as far as he could hear, though he was too tired to confirm that Shino was the owner of the voice.

"Y-yes, right away." Definitely Hinata. Kiba, who had spoken first, muttered something Naruto couldn't understand before light footsteps padded away through the grass at a hurried pace. There was a moment of quiet before Naruto felt a nudge at his shoulder.

"Don't wake him up Akamaru. Let Naruto have a break. From the look of it, he's been through a violent night." Kiba muttered to the dog at the blonde's side. Akamaru barked in reply.

"Do you think someone's infiltrated our village and attacked him on their way in?" Shino questioned smoothly. Before Kiba could respond, Hinata returned with Tsunade. The Hokage didn't say a single word as she gave Naruto a brief inspection before attempting to haul him to his feet. Naruto, desiring nothing more than to rest, refuse to comply.

"Tired… put me down grandma…" He muttered, sagging back against the tree in attempt to slip free of her grip.

"Naruto, what happened? Why are you injured? Why are you sleeping here?" Tsunade demanded as Hinata sighed in relief. He looked across his audience and frown. He started to speak, but coughed instead, much to the Hokage's distress.

"Can I please go home and go to bed? I had a long night." He finally managed.

"No, but you can take off your jacket and show me the damage. Now, Naruto." She released his wrist and grabbed his shirt collar as he sighed and unzipped his dirty and rumpled jacket.

"Dude, what happened? You haven't told us yet." Kiba asked impatiently as he mentally counted the dark purple bruises splotched across his friends' body.

"When we get to my office, you're going to take the shirt off too. Then tell me everything." Tsunade frowned, seizing the least bruised part of his arm and dragging him forward.

"What's this from? Naruto, there's evidence that you've been attacked numerous times here. And these burns! Fast healing or not, this has to stop. Tell me who's responsible!" After a full examination, Tsunade had counted 67 bruises, four cracked ribs and a large burn scar, that seemed older than it was, taking a good percentage of his back. Her mind was in a panic when she realized this wasn't the first attack he'd faced. Naruto stared back tiredly and grumbled out an incoherent sentence. She frowned and asked him to repeat himself.

"…I said I don't exactly feel like dying tonight." Naruto mumbled more clearly. Tsunade seemed momentarily stunned at the blondes' words before nodding in realization. With a final worried glance at Naruto, she called in her student.

"She's not quite as good as me yet, but I'm sure she can easily help with the bruises and your ribs. Tell her I'll take care of that burn myself, okay?" Naruto nodded and stared at his currently bare feet from the stool he occupied. The gaze then tracked toward the door as it opened to this 'student' of Tsunade's. It was none other than Sakura, who was just about as shocked to see him as he was to see her.

"N-Naruto?" She asked, stepping into the hospital room. He stared back, speechless.

"Sakura, I have to get back to my desk. Can you take over him while I'm busy?" Tsunade smiled. After looking her teammate over, she nodded and bowed as the Hokage left.

"Hey Sakura." Naruto grinned tiredly as she stepped closer. She didn't reply as her hands began swiftly lifting his arm and healing the dark marks. When she did finally speak, her voice was as demanding as Tsunade's.

"What happened to you?" She made it seem like a simple question, but Naruto could feel her concern hiding behind each syllable.

"Nothing much. I got attacked is all. By the way, Tsunade wants you to leave the burns alone." He didn't sound like Naruto at all. That was scary. Sakura tried again.

"Who attacked you though? Or do you not know?" She began working on his other arm.

"People. Um… seven I think. All guys... except one. That's all I'm willing to share though." He said.

"Why?" Sakura had her hands firmly on his chest, repairing his ribs now.

"I'm sure they have friends, Sakura." He chuckled without humor, "A limitless supply for all I know. Its not gonna make a difference no matter who does what." Sakura backed away to inspect her work before muttering, "Well I'm not gonna stand for this."

"Then don't. I'm not gonna stop you, but if I get in trouble for it, I'll know who to blame." The blonde smirked before hopping down from the stool. The second he landed, a sharp hiss of pain escaped his lips. Sakura seemed shocked that she had missed something as she watched her friend sink to his knees.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that one. I guess I shouldn't have jumped down like that." He muttered, pulling his pant leg up to reveal the last of the bruises on the backs of his knees, probably the worst looking ones yet.

"They're gonna pay. I'll kill em all." Sakura growled. Naruto looked up at her and frowned.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew their reason. Or if you knew who was responsible. Not to mention, I don't want you getting in trouble because of me." He waited for her to calm down before she directed him toward the bed on the far side of the room. He settled himself down on his stomach as she rolled his pants up and began healing his legs. The whole time, she thought of who she'd never be able to kill and the possibilities of them attacking Naruto. Sure he was annoying, but that wasn't a good reason. She was startled suddenly by a low snore from the blonde. He had fallen asleep. Her eyes wandered from his face to his scarred back. The burned skin seemed to be moving, very slowly, maybe a trick of the eyes. She finished up and moved closer to the curious mark. It really didn't seem as bad as it had been when she had first seen it. After five minutes or so of staring, Tsunade came back. She nodded approvingly at Sakura's work and set to examining the burns.

"So I was right." She muttered as her fingers traced the distorted patterns. Naruto twitched under the touch, but remained asleep.

"What do you mean?" Sakura demanded. "If you know who did this, I want to know too. I'll punch all their faces in for making my best friend suffer like this."

"I don't know that much, but I know why they attacked him. I guessed this would happen sooner or later, but from what I've seen, it started a while ago."

She finished looking and had already begun fixing the boys back. He looked more peaceful in his sleep when Tsunade was done. Sakura smiled in relief. Neither had noticed that his snoring had stopped.

"…Thanks…" Naruto muttered, eyes still closed. His snoring resumed as Tsunade turned back to her student.

"I don't think he'll be attacked if there's someone watching him all the time. I'd do it myself, but I'm busy. You're his teammate. Could you do me… and him this favor?" she asked. Sakura nodded without hesitation and asked, "So, why did they attack him?" the Hokage frowned at the expected question.

"I'm not supposed to talk about that with people who weren't there. Well actually, no ones supposed to talk about it. Anyway, I'm not saying you need to be with him 24/7, just keep an eye on him and stay close." Sakura nodded and bowed as her mentor left again. The moment the door clicked shut, she was back to pondering.

"So… you've been assigned to follow me around? Grandma Tsunade is that worried about me? Heh. Well, I guess I can't argue with that. I didn't think anyone would find me napping in the woods like that. Otherwise I would still be in bed at home sleeping it off… Or maybe still where I was." Naruto had woken up where he had been left at the hospital, Sakura sleeping in a chair nearby. He had tried to sneak out without waking her, but had tripped and alerted the kunoichi of his escape. She explained her assignment and they checked out of said hospital. They were currently headed back to Naruto's apartment when his question popped up. Sakura answered with a new question.

"Exactly how many times has this happened to you? And why can't anyone tell me the reason?" Sakura asked, speeding up to his pace as he tried not to hear the question. After staring at him for a solid minute, he slowed down to let the kunoichi catch up.

"You really want to know?" he asked darkly, turning his head to face her. Sakura would've been freaked out if it hadn't of been for the same old grin on his face. She hesitantly nodded in reply before his smile faded into a deep frown. Naruto sighed and mumbled, "Well too bad. The law forbids me from telling you. Hah. I probably wouldn't tell you if I were allowed to." He then turned a corner and pulled his house key out of his pocket. Sakura wasn't satisfied with the answer she had received. Her childish pout was seen, gaining a deep chuckle of amusement from her partner. The old Naruto had resurfaced. Sakura watched him open his door and invite her in.

"Its not much, but its home." He sighed. She stepped inside and glanced around as Naruto turned the lights on. It was very plain. From the doorway alone, she saw the living room and kitchen, both containing the necessary furniture appropriate for them. A couch and chair, two small tables and a lamp in the living room. Fridge, stove, counters, table, two more chairs, cabinets and another light in the kitchen. To her right were two doors; a bathroom and bedroom, she assumed. Naruto was already in his kitchen boiling water, for ramen, Sakura decided. She wasn't surprised when he pulled out a cup of instant noodles.

"Want one?" he asked, "or would you prefer I make you something else?" Sakura walked toward the kitchen as she replied, "Ramen is fine." He hadn't stopped smiling when the noodles were ready, and even through the meal. Sakura didn't want to ruin his mood so she pretended to be too lost in thought to talk. He easily bought it and finished in silence as well. Naruto then cleared both their bowls and returned to the table where Sakura still sat. He gazed at her for a second as she acted like she was still thinking.

"Why so quiet?" he finally questioned. Sakura frown. Busted. She thought up an excuse quick and simply replied, "Just… nothing to say." She shrugged to add to her point. The blonde put his chin on the table as his lips uncurled from their smile.

"Boring job? I don't think I can do anything about that. Sorry you got roped into all this. I'm not really used to having guests as you can see." He let out a low laugh before he continued, "You don't have to hang around if you don't want to." Sakura looked down at her friend. They'd been through so much together. He had helped her numerous times, more times than she deserved. Abandoning him now would be cruel. Before she could say anything, Naruto's voice tore her from her thoughts. He had responded to knocking.

"Come in!" He called toward the door behind her. She turned to see who had come inside. Hand on the doorframe, in strolled a tall tan woman with long brown hair that matched her narrow chestnut eyes. Her body was largely rounded like she was pregnant, but otherwise she was beautiful. She wore her long crimson kimono loose with a plain baggy white dress underneath. There were no shoes on her long narrow feet, Sakura observed mentally. The woman caught the kunoichi staring but said nothing.

"Hey Kirin. How you feeling?" Naruto grinned. Kirin looked back up as Naruto stood to greet her. Her smile matched his as she replied, "I should ask you the same thing. By the way, who's your guest? A friend?" the pair turned to Sakura, who stood and bowed respectfully before answering, "I'm Sakura. Naruto and me are teammates and friends. Nice to meet you." She stuck her hand out and waited for it to be shaken in return. Kirin looked at it in confusion and turned to Naruto, whose grin grew wider. She didn't get it.

"Take her hand and shake it!" He laughed finally. She did as she was instructed and took Sakura's hand. The confusion was still on her face. There was an awkward silence before Kirin smiled, "Naruto, I'm going to grab my notebooks. Back in a sec." Her strides were graceful, almost floating. They were light and soundless as she opened the door closest to the living room and disappeared inside. Sakura sighed. That woman was weird.

"Sorry about that. I forgot she was coming over today. Kirin is kinda an old friend. I guess I was lying when I said I never got guests, but she's like family to me, so I guess I forgot to count her. She has a hard time being around so many normal people. But she's like me, in a way. People didn't like the way she was, so she gave up being with them. Kirin's doing better blending in, even though she looks like she's from the amazons. She even got married. Hahaha…" He flopped back and landed heavily on the couch. Sakura took a last look at the door Kirin had gone into before sitting on the opposite side of the couch. She stared awkwardly at a painting on the wall as she tried to find her voice.

"Why are her notebooks here? Did she forget them?" Sakura finally dared to ask.

"Yeah. I've been teaching her how to draw and paint. She loves my art and wants to get as good as me. Kirin definitely has talent. I think she can make it." He crossed his arms behind his head and smiled. Sakura curiously turned to face her friend.

"You never told me you were an artist?" the kunouchi's eyes seemed to light up as she spoke. Naruto turned back to her and stood.

"You should see my room! There isn't a square inch of wall left. Rin insisted I hang my work up last month. I should check on Kirin anyway. She's been a while." He extended his hand to help Sakura up and she took it without a second thought. They then walked quickly toward the slightly open door ahead of them.

"Kirin? You still in here?" Naruto called as he pushed the door open. Sakura nearly fainted when she saw inside. The most beautiful art she'd ever seen decorated all four walls entirely, piles more scattered in the corner of the room. It was like she walked into a different world. If it weren't for the bed and bureau, she wouldn't have believed this a bedroom at all. Naruto was walking toward his bed where his guest was lying down.

"You okay?" He frowned. Sakura tore her bewildering eyes away from the stunning walls to look at the pained woman sprawled across the bed to her right. She clutched her large, swollen belly and moaned. Naruto put his hand over her forehead and turned to Sakura.

"Wet towel. Bathroom under the sink! Quick!" He demanded. Sakura shot out of the room without a second thought. Naruto wasn't actually going to deliver a baby, was he? She found the towels easily enough, grabbing a small one and furiously turning the water handle. She wrung out the extra water and turned off the faucet before darting back into Naruto's room. He took it and draped it over his friend's forehead before moving his other hand to Kirin's abdomen. His warm palm landed on is right side as he felt it carefully. The woman gasped as it moved lower and finally stopped next to her hip.

"Calm down Kirin. You're going to be fine. I promise. Just rest here and I'll bring you to the hospital when you can walk again. Okay?" Naruto's voice was just above a whisper. He was finally calm as Kirin nodded in response to it. Sakura felt that she was looking at a completely different person. Naruto had never been so mature before. Sure, he was sixteen now, but still… She sighed. At least Kirin wasn't going to give birth here. Naruto straightened up and nodded at Sakura to follow him out of the room. He shut the door quietly behind them and sighed deeply. He then quickly wiped his sweating brow before saying, "Thank god I didn't have to do anything major. I thought it would be worse. It was just a light fever and some bad cramps. Easy stuff. Anyway, you're a medic ninja, so I probably would've made you fix her if anything had been seriously wrong." He sighed again and went back to the couch. Sakura took a peek out the window and noticed how dark it was getting. She bit her lip before she announced her thoughts.

"It's getting late. My parents will freak if I'm not home soon." She frowned in apology.

"It's no problem. I don't have to go anywhere tonight except the hospital for Kirin." Naruto smiled and waved toward his room. Sakura bit her lip harder and frowned.

"You got attacked in the woods last night. What were you doing there?" She tentatively pushed. Naruto gazed intently into her pleading eyes, trying to decide what to share.

"…So they don't come here. Tsuta slept over. And Rin was visiting. She hangs as far away from people as humanly possible. But if I do decide to stay here with guests, it's always more of a mess to clean up after. If I have company, I'll obviously keep them out of danger. Which is why I do think you should go home." He was more than serious now. The look on his face nearly begged her to just leave. Sakura could tell that he had grown too used to this abuse. Not that it didn't affect him anymore, but that it had been going on long enough that he could expect it and be somewhat ready. But from what she had seen earlier, being 'ready' didn't help him much. It made her pity him; he'd hate that.

"You've been hurt." She summed up, "More than you deserve." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as Naruto looked down guiltily and answered, "More than you _think_ I deserve. If you knew why…" He trailed off, lowering his head.

"Then tell me! I can't help you if you don't!" Sakura cried, her face already streaked wet.

"I can't. I don't want you to know. You'll hate me like everyone else." He whispered.

"I wont! I wont hate you…" She slowed her sobs enough to continue, "I just don't want you to die… You're my closest friend! When I saw how hurt you were, I-" She was sharply cut off by a hand over her mouth and a sharp hush. Sakura whimpered.

"Don't talk…" He whispered, pulling her to the floor. She looked shocked but he smiled.

"Swear you won't come out of my room if I send you there? No matter what?" he asked.

"I can't. I promised Tsunade and you that I wouldn't let you suffer like that again." She replied firmly, quietly. Naruto scowled and hissed, "This is no time for you to believe you can fight them. It'll make things worse. Trust me on that one. You'll prove them right and then they really _will_ kill me. They're here early today though." He stood back up silently and led Sakura, who was crying again, toward his room. She tried to convince him otherwise, but he smiled his crooked grin and whispered, "Keep an eye on Kirin." Before shutting the door and walking calmly back to the middle of the room as the window next to the couch ahead shattered.

Sakura heard the sound of glass splintering, followed by an eerie silence. It took all of her willpower not to leave the room. Suddenly she heard the heavy steps of someone coming into the building, followed quickly by the thudding of a group. At this point Sakura was already so panicked that she didn't notice Kirin sit up and try to approach. Sakura, crouched at the door, only turned around when she heard her growl, "I smell alcohol." It was barely audible, but the kunoichi could feel the disgust burn in every syllable she spat out. The fear was practically unbearable. She had been assigned to protect him, damnit!

"What do we do?" Sakura sobbed quietly, "I don't ever want to see him like that again…" Kirin put a hand on her shoulder and growled, "Sometimes it's better to ignore Naruto's requests." With that, Sakura was pushed from the room and straight into the view of Naruto's attackers. Shocked, the kunoichi quickly counted seven intruders, three who held her comrade down, two soaking his bloody and bruised back with alcohol, one crouching above him with a lit match, and finally one who hung back and seemed to have been previously observing. Their outfits made it hard to pick out the one girl. Sakura finally found her voice and yelled viciously, "Get off of my teammate!" The men (and woman somewhere) in black were silent as they stared at her before the one in the back let out a deep laugh and boomed, "So you have a friend? Hahaha…Notice how she didn't call you as such. Easy to get rid of one little nobody." He smirked and whipped out a kunai. Sakura armed herself as well, gaining a disapproving glare from Naruto, who remained silent. As the man crouched to lunge, one of his comrades stepped between him and his target, gaining surprised glances from Naruto and Sakura as well as their attacker.

"Shinari. I'll take responsibility for my daughter." He bowed. Sakura gaped.

"Dad?!" She shouted. "You're involved?!" she was well out of tears, but she sobbed anyway. Shinari turned his head down to face Naruto. He cleared the space between them in two strides. The mocking grin on his face was frightening.

"You've lowered yourself to corrupting and kidnapping my friend's daughter?" he sneered and landed a kick to the blonde's ribs. He let out a pained yelp and was sent skidding out of one of his attackers hold. Sakura took a step to help, only to have her father restrain her. He lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered as she struggled.

"Don't get involved with matters that don't concern you." His iron grip tightened as Sakura shook, eyes locked on her friend as Shinari ordered his men to continue. The one who had lost his grip was back on the blonde, a knife through his hand this time. At this point, they had lit a new match and, with a nod from their leader, ignited Naruto's exposed back. A tortured scream tore from his throat as his skin started burning, Sakura's shrill cries of terror echoing his own. Never before had Sakura seen such terrible things. Her eyes widened as the flames danced across his body, killing him slowly. With a final tug and an elbow to her father's ribcage, she was able to break free.

"Naruto! Naruto, oh… Stop! Your going to kill him… please stop…" she begged as she fell to her knees beside her partner. Her terrified eyes searched each face for even a hint of mercy. None of them, not even her own father, felt anything for the boy.

"Well. We've had our fun. Lets head home." Shinari smiled cheerfully. His followers released their grasp on the now unconscious Naruto and strode out the door. Except for one, who lingered by the doorway, waiting for his daughter, who remained on the floor as the flames began to die out. At that point, Kirin staggered out in a half slump against the doorframe to the bathroom. She held the towel she had used earlier and a bowl of water as she motioned for Sakura to give her a hand. The girl quickly set to work, delicately smothering the last of the flames with the towel, much to her fathers distaste.

"Why are you helping that brat?" He growled at her. Sakura turned in reply, all her rage directed at him. She snarled right back, "Why were you trying to kill my friend?"

"You have no idea what it is!" His voice rose sharply, almost defensively.

"Then enlighten me, dad. What do I have to fear from my comrade?!" She shouted.

"It's the demon fox who killed my brother, that's what!" as soon as the words passed his lips, his hand shot over his mouth. Kirin growled at the comment as Sakura froze.

"W-what…" Sakura had entirely lost her steam. She had heard the stories from both her parents; they had lost family in the fight against the demon and had been devastated since. But… Never in her time knowing Naruto had he ever seriously injured a friend, or enemy for that matter, without a reason. Never had he enjoyed taking lives on missions. Sure Sakura had known something was strange about him, but she never would've guessed… No. He wasn't a bad person. She couldn't leave her friend behind, even now.

"I'm staying with Naruto. I'm bringing him to the hospital now. Kirin, c'mon." She finally decided. Kirin helped hoist Naruto onto Sakura's back and followed them to the front door, where their final obstacle stood, a disgusted glare pointed at the trio.

"Don't defend it. We're going home." He growled. "Put it down and come on."

"It?!" I'm an adult now and what I have to say matters just as much! I say Naruto isn't like that at all! You just need an excuse to exact your revenge on something that was easy enough to satisfy you. You hurt my friend and I won't stand for it, now move!" Her words cut deep, and Sakura took his moment of shock to dart past him, Kirin right behind her. They broke into a sprint, turning the corner to the main roads in the quiet night.

"Is the hospital open this late?" Kirin asked between breaths. Sakura smiled dryly and replied, "Believe it or not but its only ten. But I suggest we go to Tsunade and report what we know immediately." Kirin let out a quick 'lets go then,' and faced forward. Sakura nodded, but worried about what might happen to her father.

"What?! This is worse than last time!" Tsunade and Shizune examined the battered and broken boy on the couch. They had made it to Tsunade's mansion easily enough, and waking her up was no problem either, but getting her to calm down after Naruto didn't respond to anything she did was a different matter entirely. Kirin had gone to the next room; apparently running in her condition wasn't their brightest idea. Sakura hadn't been able to explain before Tsunade began crying. She was talking, but her words were muffled. Finally she sat up to see Sakura crying too.

"My father was involved. And a man by the name of Shinari. There were five others, but I didn't recognize them. I couldn't do anything to stop them, my father held me back. Naruto knew… and he tried not to let me see my father like that. It was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. Not one of them felt a thing for him. Naruto… is the demon fox, isn't he? That's what my father said…" Sakura cried slowly.

"Not exactly. The fourth lord sealed the demon fox inside Naruto's body, but Naruto's own consciousness remained. He acts how he would if he were normal." Tsunade explained. Shizune gave a small frown as she listened, but said nothing. Tsunade then turned back to Naruto, who still showed no signs of waking. He was on his stomach, marred back a symbol of failure to Sakura. Even as she and Tsunade healed his injuries, the image if him burning refused to leave her alone. His expression, the sounds of his pain, orange and gold flames marking aimless trails of destruction down his bare back… and that Shinari, who sat back and watched with a pleased smile. It was just too much. And yet he took it every time. Maybe not quite as bad as now, but he still received hell one way or another. And she never would've guessed that her best friend suffered like this all the time.

"Its not fair…" she whispered as her hands began to shake above her patient.

"It's the way his life works. Maybe I should've made him stay with a jounin though. I'm sorry both of you had to endure that." The Hokage had slowed and nearly stopped her tears and now regretted letting Naruto even leave her sight. She heard a sigh beside her and asked, "What's on your mind?" Sakura bowed her head and tried to avoid the question. She didn't want to tell her teacher that he had tried to get her away from him.

"Too quiet in there. Hope you don't mind if I join you two?" Kirin smiled from the doorway. Tsunade left Sakura to finish with Naruto as she turned to face the other woman. Kirin only had eyes for Naruto; she practically ignored the Hokage.

"You were there too," the medic observed, "and I want to hear your story."

"Blah." The brunette muttered in reply, "same as Sakura's except I could barely move." She pointed her finger toward her bulging abdomen. She then pointed it toward Naruto and added, "I was just going to wake him up for you." Sakura and Tsunade backed up to give her room as she walked unsteadily to her sleeping friend. She simply stood there for a second before bending to his level (With much difficulty) and shouted straight into his ear, "The kitchen caught fire!" For a second there was no response. Then an irritated grumble passed his lips. The medics looked up hopefully as Kirin bent a fraction lower.

"I'm sorry could you repeat that?" She asked tiredly. Naruto rolled over to face her, eyes barely open, before mumbling more clearly, "Put it out then, Stupid! And stop trying to cook! " Though he made no other move or showed any concern to the matter himself.

"Naruto! Thank god! I thought you were going to die…" Sakura hugged him quickly as Kirin sat him up, much to his surprise. He then looked around as he tried to process what had happened. His normally bright blue eyes were hazed over with an unfocused shade of gray.

"This isn't my house…" He said slowly as Kirin carefully eased herself next to him, flinging an arm over his slumped shoulder.

"We had fun dragging you here. I think your dying act traumatized the pink haired one."

"Sakura." The kunoichi reminded irritably as the woman explained. Tsunade sighed in relief and turned to Shizune. Without even saying anything, her assistant knew what the older woman wanted. She left to give them privacy, bowing by the door before letting it click shut behind her. The Hokage then turned back to the three by the couch.

"Now, I've heard their stories… All that's left is yours. Please, Naruto. We can't keep doing this." She pleaded as he lowered his azure eyes. He shook his head once and sighed deeply, avoiding the question. Kirin growled and stood up.

"Don't pull your innocent crap now! Tell her everything before I call Rin here!" She demanded furiously. Sakura and Tsunade turned to her at the threat. Naruto's head instantly shot back up as he scowled.

"I've heard that name before. A friend of yours, right Naruto? You mentioned that you were ambushed in the woods after visiting her. She's the one who doesn't like people." The pink haired girl smiled at the blonde, whose glare deepened. His eyes remained locked on the dark haired woman above him as he disregarded his comrades' question entirely, much to her disappointment.

"You wouldn't even think of having her around people, Kirin." He snarled, fists clenching tightly. At least she got some life into him.

"Hm… Maybe, if you don't stop being a moron and suffering for the sake of others." Kirin smiled devilishly as she continued, "And I'm sure Kay will want to pay a visit again, too. How long has it been since we've seen her?" Now Tsunade and Sakura were really lost.

"Whoa. Slow down. Who are Kay and Rin? And why does Naruto looked so pissed?" Tsunade finally asked, shaking her head furiously to clear her perplexed thoughts.

"Yeah. Is he scared something will happen?" Sakura threw in. Kirin smiled.

"With our luck, Rin will kill someone if she's around people. Unless…" She tapped her chin in thought before continuing, " Naruto is with her. He doesn't fear her like I do. Quite the opposite actually. Naruto positively adores her, like the little sister he never knew he wanted. And Kay… she's a doctor, but not like you two. She only works on us special cases. There's actually an entire village for people like us. We've all been trying to get Naruto to go there to avoid stuff like this for a while now. This stubborn fools dream keeps him here though."

"So how would having Rin come here help?" Tsunade questioned, processing the info.

"Cuz this little monster here can't say no to a little girl!" Kirin cried in hysterics, pointing to the blonde below her. He glared for a second before catching her finger between his teeth.

"Yeow! Let me go!" the insane laughter had instantly ceased as Naruto held on tight.

"Are you two always like this?" Sakura frowned. Tsunade nodded for a reply.

"Not just us… all our friends are… Ow! Messed up like this. Not to mention-" she tried to explain between yanks for her finger. Finally Naruto let go and spat finger blood on the carpet, much to Tsunade's disapproval. He then picked up where Kirin had left off.

"Like Kirin was saying, our friends aren't exactly the… sanest? A bunch of them have taken worse crap than Kirin and me combined. But besides that though, they're all great. End of conversation." He finished by standing and glaring at Kirin. She, still cradling her newest injury with her other hand, in turn stamped her heel into the top of the blonde's foot, causing him to yelp in shock as she screamed, "That hurt you stupid brat!" The pair then began yelling such terrible profanities at one another that Sakura had to tune them out by remembering the lines to her newest medicine guide loudly in her mind while Tsunade broke up the vicious argument. She felt a hand on her shoulder inviting her back into the now civilized conversation. To her surprise, the blonde and the brunette were laughing to each other.

"Okay, okay…if I go with you for a month, will you be happy?" Naruto finally proposed.

"How about you stay with us forever and leave this god forsaken village behind? Besides a select few, it seems they're already sick of you." Kirin pouted back as she folded her arms across her chest. She turned to Tsunade and grinned, " So waddaya say, Hokage? Going to let me kidnap him? Gonna stop me? Silence both of us here and now? Let them kill us instead?" Her barrage of questions barely gave Tsunade time to start even a word before finally finishing, "You know what will happen, don't you? A pregnant woman can't defend her friend from them here, but our home, everyone there, can easily defend itself from a group of common thugs. But that's only if they can catch and find us first!" she then proceeded with a pleased laugh at the speechless medics. Naruto was too busy waiting for Sakura's reaction to hear Kirin say his name. It finally seemed to sink in just as Tsunade began sputtering to the brunette. As the older women entered a 'louder than inside voices' conversation, the teens started talking in a more hushed manner.

"You're leaving…" Sakura bit her lip as she whispered.

"Only for a month or two." Naruto promised quickly as the girl lowered her eyes.

"…Can I go with you?" She tried, looking up hopefully after a full twenty seconds.

"Absolutely Not!" Naruto's startled voice matched Kirin's enraged growl. The kunoichi's head snapped up straighter in alarm as the sharp reply of the pair hit her ears. She let her eyes travel from the brunettes' furious face as she slowed her pounding heart. They finally settled on the terrified blank stare of her teammate. Before she could snap him out of it, Kirin lifted him by the arm. He looked up, dazed as his friend explained, if not quite harshly, "Where we are going is no place for you! Even Naruto can't picture you lasting very long there. Most of them really resent normal people and I'm sure you can guess why. I'd bet money that you'd be begging to come home after three days if you followed us." She stared down at the pink haired girl, waiting for her to look down or away. _Hmph… she's scared. I wouldn't be surprised if she turns away again._ Kirin thought, but she got a reply instead.

"I accept your challenge. I'm not some pushover girl you can just overlook. Trust me. I bet I could last a week or longer with you. If I win, you have to trust me. I can see that you still don't. And… you have to accept me as I am and not dump me in your 'normal' category. Is it a deal?" Sakura huffed, sticking her hand out. Naruto glanced back and fourth between the pair. Kirin stared at her momentarily before exploding in hysterics.

"Naruto, I love your friend! Man she's got guts! You're on, princess. But if I win, you have to admit you're just a normal, stubborn brat and I can distrust you all I want!" Kirin then snagged Sakura's hand and viciously shook it before grinning, "Looks like I got the hand shaking thing nailed too, huh?"

"Alright. Sakura, you sure you want to do this? I mean… the roles are going to be totally swapped when we get there. I'll be the 'normal' one while you'll be the one everyone refuses to trust and accept. There's a good possibility that you'll get kidnapped or mobbed while we're there too so watch your back… Kay might be more forgiving, so we have to go to her first." Naruto had been trying to dissuade Sakura from going with him and Kirin all morning, only to have everything they were taking packed and the kunoichi still willing.

"Don't try to back her out of our bet. I want to savor her expression when we get there." Kirin was no help at all as she ranted about how fun this trip would be with a victim (She sometimes called her a sacrifice as payback for their suffering).

"I'll be fine. You don't think I'll crumble under words, do you, fatty?" Sakura growled daringly. She didn't want to give Kirin something to work with, like fear.

"Oh, no… of course not. But you will crumble under the hate of our friends, forehead." They threw biting comments back and fourth until Naruto broke it up.

"Hey! Enough arguing. We're leaving. Sakura, can I borrow you for a second?" The blonde beckoned the medic over and smiled in apology as he pulled a long, thick strip of white cloth from his pocket. Sakura bit her lip in confusion as Naruto stepped behind her and tied it around her head as a blindfold before asking, "Why do I need this?"

"It's a rule. People have betrayed us before, and now any outsiders planning to come in need to be escorted like this. Sorry." He explained grabbing her hand and helping her onto his back. Sakura frowned at the word outsider. She didn't like the way he referred to her like that. Behind her, she heard Kirin growl as she picked up the bag that had her and Naruto's belongings in it. There was a moment of low cursing followed by slow footsteps a minute later as the brunette muttered, " The painkillers that lady gave me should last me most of the day, so I can run for now. You two ready to leave?" Naruto began moving below her, his fast pace surprisingly smooth for a klutz.

The trip was… long, and for the most part utterly boring to start. Occasionally Sakura would feel the brush of leaves fly past, and every once in a while Naruto would ask which way to turn next. Finally she was so sick of the quiet that she began asking questions. Naruto seemed fine with answering.

"What is this place called anyways? I haven't learned that yet."

"Hm. Well, it doesn't really have a name. No one felt like it was important I guess. But some people call it the village of shadows." He smiled cheerfully.

"What a strange name. What is it like there?" She continued. Kirin answered this one.

"Not too different from any other village. A little different in the makeup of it. The place looks like a random jumble of buildings set in no particular order. Easy to get lost in if you don't pay attention. But the most recognizable feature is the four towers surrounding it, like your wall around Konoha. We have watchers instead."

"If it's in a forest, wouldn't it be hard for them to spot intruders?"

"Who ever said it was in a forest? You'll see when we get there. Go left, Naruto."

"How much further is it? It feels like we've been going forever."

"Hm, only about an hour more. We've been going half the day. How are you two holding out?" Naruto answered, a slight breathlessness behind the last syllable. He was worn out.

"I'm good. I just hope this brat doesn't hate me later for this." She meant the baby.

"I'm good too. You aren't tired from carrying me yet, Naruto?" Sakura felt him laugh, a light melodic sound.

"A little. No big deal though. But I'm surprised. We usually run into two or three other people around here."

"Yeah I know. Arani likes to patrol around here. I doubt he's off duty this early. We'll probably see him when we get out of these woods." They proceeded in silence, the rustle of leaves eventually fading as their feet found the ground again. After slowing to a halt, the kunoichi felt Naruto loosen his hold on her. She slid down in reply, stiff legs waking back up. She then pulled off her bag and reached for her blindfold, only to have Naruto stop her hand halfway.

"We aren't there yet. One second." he whispered quickly. He then muttered "Speak of the devil…" and laughed once. She lowered her arms and clasped them irritably behind her back, then was about to ask why they had stopped when a new voice spoke first. It didn't sound harsh, but it was still hard to judge. She was positive that it was male immediately.

"Kirin, Naruto! Good to see you both again!" The cheery voice bellowed. "And who's this might I ask?" Sakura pictured a tall buff man towering above her. She bowed shyly as a sign of respect. The curiosity was killing her.

"Arani. This is Sakura, a friend of Naruto's who thinks she can handle our village." Kirin replied smugly. A loud laugh erupted, followed by a reassuring, "Well she looks strong- willed. And she's pretty. Miss Sakura, you can take that silly thing off your face now." In response, she slowly removed the cloth blinding her vision and squinted at the sunlight as her eyes readjusted. The first thing they settled on was a young skinny man with lightly tanned skin and black hair grinning down at her. Behind him stretched a jade and emerald wind-brushed field, a huge village nestled perfectly in the center. It didn't seem the least bit intimidating from where they stood, albeit… jumbled, as Kirin had put it. The four towers loomed over the structures at each side, giving a slightly secretive appearance. It was breathtaking otherwise; maybe Kirin had been fooling with her.

"You like?" Arani asked, nodding to the town behind him. Speechless, Sakura only nodded. She felt a tug at her hand as Naruto led her forward. He had already picked up her bag and was beckoning her to walk. She slowly obeyed. The trip was long; Kirin had gotten tired of the turtle pace and ran ahead, Arani close behind her. Naruto stayed with Sakura, still looking a bit tired, and letting her take everything in at her own pace.

"I thought it would be scarier than this." She observed, pointer of her free hand to her lower lip curiously. Naruto released her other wrist and stopped her. His face looked just as thoughtful before he sighed and explained, "It's not the village I'm worried about, just the people in it. Unless you're good at pretending. Think you could pull off demon?" he laughed, allowing her to then keep moving. His light amusement eased the tense situation.

"I'm not a good pretender. Besides, Kirin probably already told everyone you had a guest." Sakura then smiled back. They finally reached the first line of buildings, the outskirts, where there wasn't a person in sight. Sakura shuddered as she passed one of the stone towers that guarded the area before questioning the absence of life.

"You'll start to see people as we get further in. Most of them are usually out training or working around this time. Isabelle will be with Kay when we get there. You'll like her. She's my closest friend here. Not like the kind of loose friendship I have with Kirin. Bella won't smart mouth you." He led her further down the winding roads to a more open area. Now she saw the people of this town. Some, she might of thought were human without a second thought. Some could pass as normal if they put in some effort. Others were obviously different; a few had wings of many varieties, one or two had strange shades of skin, a woman to her left had sandy brown cat ears. Ears, tones, appendages… there was such variety. But one very obvious similarity through them all immediately had her scared. They all had their eyes locked on her, sharp and outraged. She tried to look away, but every time she was met with a glare from that new direction. Sakura almost sighed out loud when they finally entered a building. _Safe_, she muttered mentally. Inside was nothing special, just an ordinary office-like room. At the single dark desk in the back, a serious looking redhead glanced at the company from behind rectangle glasses and a stack of books. Behind her stood a pretty young girl with long navy hair that matched her glittering eyes. Her hands clasped in front of her as she announced happily, "Naruto, I'm so glad you came back!" She then danced across the room, short white dress fluttering gracefully with her, and wrapped her peach cream arms around his neck, much to Sakura's shock. Naruto hugged her back and laughed, "Bella, its so good to see you again," He then smiled over the girls shoulder and added, "You too, Kay. How are things here?" The redhead didn't reply. She was looking at Sakura. The medic smiled and waved shyly as Kay stood. Bella released Naruto and turned to her too. She then laughed lightly as she gave the kunoichi a sudden once-over.

"Arani was right. She is pretty cute. Her eyes show promise though. I feel…She has a chance to win this one. Kirin is wrong to judge you so harshly, Haruno."

"Yes, well… we can't give her any special treatment just because she's a guest. Naruto, I know that you know she'll be put to work too. As the leader of this village, it's my duty to see that she does what she's told. You. Sakura, correct? Listen closely, because I will not repeat myself. You will have the same schedule as Isabelle here (Nods to Bella. A/N- I call her Iz sometimes). You'll also have to pay rent. For the first night, I'll allow you to stay for free. You will start tomorrow. Isabelle will wake you up at five sharp. Be ready." Kay explained bluntly. Sakura was memorizing the new info behind a haze of confusion. She had thought that Naruto would be with her the whole time. Kay scared her…

"Ma'am, um, excuse me but what will I be doing for work?" She hesitantly asked.

"Ask Isabelle. As for you Naruto, I expect you to work as hard as always. Understand?" Kay sat back down as Naruto nodded. With that she dismissed them. The blonde and Bella then led Sakura out the door again. She was greeted with the same glares as before.

"Sakura?" Naruto looked at her apologetically. Their pace slowed a fraction.

"Doesn't like getting stared at, huh?" Bella asked sympathetically. Sakura frowned. Now she knew how Naruto always felt back in Konoha. It wasn't fun.

"Don't worry. We've got your back." Naruto grinned. He then gave a swift thumbs up to her before taking a step toward the offended crowd.

"Yeah. You want the attention off of you? Watch this!" Isabelle then joined Naruto and took hold of his hand and shouted, "Hey everyone! Guess what!" Naruto grinned and continued for her, "Sakura requests that you all avert your eyes!" A mutter ran through the crowd before three long eared women to their left applauded. Sakura felt a blush violently tinge her face red. Why were they clapping? It was illogical! She didn't think her face could get any darker as the tallest woman strode over. Her dark jeans didn't match her beautiful features at all.

"Sakura, huh? Don't mind them," she gestured to the crowd that had formed at the loud outburst and continued, "They're just suspicious. A lot of them will stare for a while, but if Naruto and Bella can call attention to you without worrying about your personal safety, then I guess you aren't a threat. Anyways, I'm Sarasha. My sisters are Meggi and Reili. We don't show up here too often, but if you do see us again, don't be afraid to say hi." With that she drifted off to her sisters. Sakura turned toward the giggling pair beside her, still red faced and infuriated.

"What was that?! I thought she was going to eat me! Is that your way of helping?" She vented out all her anger with a chain of profanities, Naruto waiting patiently for her to run out of breath. When she finally paused, he muttered, "If one person approves of you, they all will eventually. We're one big family. Now they should lay off a bit. Just be patient." They were walking again, out of the crowded center, toward the western part of town. Naruto was pointing out who it was okay to talk to, who to avoid, and where to go if something happened. Sakura was about to ask what he meant by that when she was pulled to a stop. Before them stood a large black door with faded sign that read 'Do Not Enter' on the front. Isabelle beamed at it proudly before knocking. There was no response at first.

"What is this place?" Sakura whispered nervously as footsteps then approached from the opposite side. Before he could answer, the door creaked open slowly, a low voice asking, "What do you want?" Bella tilted her head and sang, "New set of clothes. Guest. Same size as me, less full in the chest though." Sakura glowered at the last comment, then jumped as the door slammed shut again. At that, Naruto turned on his heel and led Sakura away. He waved once to his friend as she called a goodbye then muttered to Sakura, "Don't worry. I live close to Iz, so you can come over if she annoys you. I've never seen her so hyper though. Right around this corner… Here. This is my apartment." He waved his hand at the door in front of them, and then turned around. "And this is you and Bella's!" he waved his hand to the building across the street. It was nothing fancy, and Naruto lived next door, which was a plus. He opened the closest door with a key from his pocket before allowing her to enter. Inside was… blue. Floors, walls, chairs; blue. They were matched with the white ceiling, tabletops and cabinets. The style was a lot like Naruto's apartment in Konoha. Bigger, sure, and there was an extra room. Nice place. The blonde pressed the key into her hand before talking again.

"Go ahead and explore. Iz will be back in a few minutes with a work outfit and schedule. I have to hunt down Kirin and then I have to see Kay. Catch you later?" Sakura nodded and was about to go find her room when Naruto turned back and grinned, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. If Firah (Fee-rah. Don't pronounce it wrong or I'll incinerate you) shows up while Bella is out, give her the envelope on the counter." He put her bag at the doorway and stepped out, leaving the girl to survey. She easily found her room, though there was some clutter on the spare bed. Apparently the room had been acting as a closet prior to her arrival. Lucky for her they were all boxed. She stacked them neatly in the corner, fighting off curiosity as she did so. When the bed was uncovered, she flopped down on her back and smiled. Not as comfy as home, but it was still okay. The thought of home made her realize how much trouble Naruto would be in when they went back. Her father had been angry when she was at his house. Now she was missing along with Naruto. They could kill him. She was suddenly interrupted from her mental panic by an impatient knock at the front door. Standing, she stretched and called, "Come in!" the door clicked open and a short brunette garbed in red and orange robes slipped in. She had confident narrow eyes like Kirin, but her smile showed a softer side. Two small ember wings peaked over her low shoulders and her sandal clad feet tapped lightly as she approached the kunoichi. Not knowing what to say, Sakura just stood silently as she came forward.

"Hello, I'm Firah, the landlady. Is Bella here?" Firah chimed as she looked around. Sakura finally found her voice and replied, "No, she's not. I'm her new roommate, though. I was asked to give you something. One second." Sakura jogged to the table and picked up the envelope before striding back to the waiting woman. Firah took it and grinned, "pleasure finally meeting you. I was told you'd be staying around here." As she finished, she waved and headed back toward the door. The moment she was gone, Sakura sighed and continued her adventure around the house.

"Where is he?" Tsunade never thought she, of all people, would ever have to be interrogated. Before her stood her students enraged father (if you haven't figured it out yet, I have no clue what his name is), demanding Naruto. The Hokage sat with momentary shock before replying coolly, "You've been involved with criminal activity. I should have you arrested." He growled irritably and slammed his fists on her desk.

"That's not the point!" he shouted, "I know he took her! I know you know where! Tell me!" Shizune glanced nervously between him and Tsunade as their voices rose sharply.

"I wont let you touch Naruto!"

"I'll kill him myself if he ever comes back!"

"We'll lock you and your gang up before that happens."

"Then you better consider a bigger prison! Most of your village is on my side!"

"What!"

"You heard me! We knew he'd cross the line sooner or later! He. Kidnapped. My. Daughter!"

"Where's Shinari? I want him here now!"

Sakura wandered aimlessly over the apartment; she had already unpacked her clothes and things, putting them either in or on the bureau across from her bed. It felt more like home already, she thought cheerily. After, she felt the need to amble. Firmly putting thoughts of her father out of mind, she headed toward the kitchen. The fridge was her first victim, as she took an apple and some milk before opening every cabinet and memorizing what was where. She explored every room in the apartment except Isabelle's room. It was just as she was leaving the bathroom that Bella came home. Hanging loosely from under her arm were a set of thick black pants and a matching heavy jacket. They looked more like combat clothes than a work uniform. Still, Sakura took them when Bella offered. Holding them in front of her, she was surprised at how light they really were.

"So, lets go over the schedule for tomorrow. As you know, we have to get up at five." She gestured toward the table behind them and pulled a scribbled on sheet of paper from her pocket. As the other girl smoothed it out, Sakura noticed it was a marked map. Lines marked from one dot to another. Bella pointed her finger at one of the circled buildings.

"We are here." She beamed matter-of-factly. Sakura memorized it quickly as her roommate traced a line from their apartment to a different circled point, a larger building.

"We go here first. Then-" Bella started, only to be interrupted mid-sentence by the medic who stammered, "W-wait. What's at that point? I mean…" She was sick of surprises. If she had to work, she wanted to know what she had to do. Isabelle laughed at her confusion before replying with a grin, "We need breakfast, right? I can cook, but this restaurant is right on the way so I go there to eat. Continuing," She placed her finger back on the map and dragged her finger to the third point before saying, " We work here. It's not much of a job, but it pays well. We pretty much keep raiders and thieves out of this guy's house. In this town, people like that make up most of the population. I'm sure you can guess why. Our boss is named Hiroshima Matsuraka, one of the few with serious money here. That's what makes him a popular target. You just have to meet him today so don't worry too much. Finally we go here." She put her finger down on the last point connected to the trail and explained, "This is the training field. Probably the most impressive one you'll ever see. Trust me on that." Sakura's eyes wandered over the map a final time, and she noticed a marked area away from everything else. She pointed to it and asked, "What about this point?" Bella looked back down. She then laughed, "I don't think you'd understand unless I showed you. Since it's your day off, I'll take you there. Naruto and I go to play when we have nothing to do. When he gets home I'll have him come too."

"Shinari. I hereby arrest you for the assault and torture of a minor and breaking and entering and criminal gang activity in general." Tsunade grinned.

"He doesn't count as one of us." Shinari smiled back in mock politeness. Shizune growled, mirroring Tsunade's. A dark shadow loomed over the Hokage's creased brow. Sakura's father stood close by, seething as he added, "It'd be dead now if it were here."

"You will not make such comments in my presence!" Tsunade finally snapped, pissed.

"I'll say whatever I believe. I'm being imprisoned anyways." His twisted grin grew as the anger seeped through the Hokage's features. Her tightly clasped hands were peaked with white knuckles, ready to smash someone's face in. Her teeth gritted together sharply as she hissed, "Get him out of here. Before I kill him."

Sakura and Bella had decided to meet the kunoichi's new employer while they waited. She endured the constant stares of the town as they made their way to a decent household that didn't look particularly wealthy. It looked more like a big house than a small mansion. Outside the double doorway, two guards stood; a pale, white haired woman who appeared to be blind stood to the left. On the right was a brunette boy with large liquid silver eyes that didn't match the rest of him. Both wore the dark uniforms Sakura had seen earlier. As they approached, the guards' heads raised slightly. They smiled at the sight of Bella, and then turned wordlessly to Sakura and frown.

"Shiita, Miina, this is Sakura. She's going to be working here too. Remember?" She explained. Miina, the woman, stepped toward Sakura and looked at her with blank eyes.

"She's quite the interesting character. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Miina Raequelle is my full name and, as you suspect, I am blind, but I can sense a person's spirit. I know everything I need to know without sight. A teller, if you may. Shiita, come over here and introduce yourself properly." Hesitantly, the odd-eyed guard stepped forward and bowed. Sakura choked back a gasp as his bend revealed the jagged scars on the back of his head. He had looked fine from the front. As he re straightened, he grinned, less shyly, " Shiita Blue. I'm what's known as a darkchild. Our eyes can easily reveal us on any crowd. What Miina lacks is my specialty. I not only see far better than anyone in this village, but I can also, like Miina, sense their skills. I pick the threats, she will analyze and strategize, and then we both defend the doors." Sakura had no clue why everyone felt the need to explain, but it was probably a lot less time consuming than Q&A. She smiled and nodded that she understood before Bella seized her wrist and pulled her inside the now open doors stating, "C'mon, Sakura! This is only our first stop, remember? See you two later!"

"Okay Isabelle, We'll see you later. You too, Haruno! Good luck!" The doors clacked shut behind them as Sakura began to feel nervous.

"Tsunade-Sama, what do you plan to do? If what they said is true, then we have no chance of keeping Naruto safe." Shizune pressed, biting her lip as she waited for reply.

"I don't know yet. Naruto plans to be gone about a month, right? We have until then to solve this problem. For now though, I need Kakashi."

He was a boy. A small boy; he was younger than her. Hiroshima Matsuraka; Male, neat red hair tied back in a tight ponytail, narrow royal blue eyes that seemed to stare without blinking, and ivory skin flecked with brown across his nose, He was garbed in a simple blue kimono, though its quality was magnificent.

"You must be the girl I've heard so much about. Haruno Sakura, correct?" He beamed. Genuinely pleased.

"Yes sir. I'm glad you've allowed me to work for you, Matsuraka." Sakura sat cross-legged next to Bella as they introduced. The manor was nothing extravagant, but it was big. There were lots of red and blue shades and fabrics here (Use your imagination). Hiroshima nodded in delight as the pink haired girl admired.

"Please, call me Matsu. It's a pain to say my name, honestly. I know what your thinking; 'Oh, he's just a little kid! How did he become wealthy?' am I right? Well, I'll tell you eventually. Not now though. I have work to do. I hope you rest well tonight, dear Sakura." He waved and gave a carefree 'ta-ta' as the girls left his throne room. The meeting had been short; once again, Sakura had barely gotten her name out before being lectured and dismissed. Bella silently noted the mood before asking, "What's up? You seem down." Sakura sighed in silent defeat before confessing; " I barely have a say in anything here. It's so annoying! Everyone feels the need to draw things out for me when its not history I need to learn. What do I do?" They had stopped in the park across from the manor and sat in the jade grass at that point, Sakura clenching the young blades between frustrated fingers. Bella heaved a sigh of her own and began her own lecture.

"No one's trying to be rude. If anything, they want to impress you. You're normal and they aren't. Even Naruto and I feel the need to make you aware of us. But don't let it get to your head. There's more envy in this crowd than you think. People here would literally kill to be normal like you." Taking a breath, she waited for a response.

"But the history? The staring? What about you? Why are you here?" Sakura's eyes burned with curiosity as she leaned closer. Bella bit her lip and averted her eyes at the last questions, hesitantly answering the other two a few seconds too slow.

"…We feel… that to keep our… their own individual kinds alive outside of this safe haven, we must tell how great we are, or… were… in most cases. Like Kirin. She's the only pure Asheler left alive. They stare at you because they've all been hurt by normal people in one way or another." Sakura felt a little guilty for making Isabelle depressed, and as she raised a hand to comfort her Arani trotted over with his usual cheerful grin. Plopping himself heavily down between them, he disregarded the negative mood and stated, "Hey girls. Naruto and Kirin sent me to find you two. They want you to come to the hospital." He almost jumped when Iz gave a sharp, "What! What happened!"

"Calm down, sunshine. I'll tell you if you come. There's no hurry, really."

"Yes, lady Hokage?" Kakashi greeted from the windowsill. With a casual wave, he invited himself in. Tsunade gave a disapproving frown at the sudden cheerfulness in her office, but explained quickly, if not bluntly, "I need a favor. You have to follow Naruto and Sakura's scent to wherever they went and then report to me where exactly that someplace is. We'll need to warn him to avoid home for a while if at all possible. It's positively crucial that no one follows you. I don't know whose with or against me on this and you and Iruka are my only options right now. Will you do it?" She looked almost pleading to the silver haired nin, but he would've done this for his students even if that weren't a fact. He nodded once and sighed.

"You don't have to ask twice. I'll do my best. The trail should still be pretty clear for my ninja hounds to follow."

"Then you are dismissed." He was about to walk out, but Tsunade stopped him again.

"Kakashi?" She called once. He turned.

"Yes, Lady Hokage?" Was his simple reply. She smiled and nodded before speaking.

"Thank you."

"So why are we going to the hospital?" Sakura finally asked. They had already began their trip to meet up with their friends, Arani leading. He didn't turn as he replied, "Well, You two know how Kirin is massively pregnant, right? Well, the little pipsqueak was demanding to be let out. Kirin, being the stubborn girl she is, felt the urge to go to work in her condition. Her water broke half an hour later and Naruto didn't appreciate carrying an expecting woman to the hospital. Well, the baby was born and she's healthy. But you can see for yourself when we get there. Lets go." They sped up the pace, jogging now. The stares still got to Sakura as they crossed through the busy center, but they eventually came to a large brick building with a big white sign labeled 'HOSPITAL' above the glass double doors. The group entered single file and made their way to the front desk.

"We'll be quick, I promise." Arani waved to the woman behind the table, who only briefly glanced up before nodding. Cheerily, Arani turned toward the west wing and led the way down the narrow halls. Iz seemed to be thinking so Sakura couldn't ask her why she still seemed troubled, and asking Arani about other peoples personal business seemed rude, so she bit her lip and waited until They stopped in front of an open door.

"Hey guys! Sup?" He announced their arrival in a very obnoxious manner, waking up the previously asleep Kirin in the process. She grumbled something too inappropriate to mention before turning to Naruto, who instantly nodded and reached for the pitcher of water on the table beside him. Sakura watched him pour it into a plastic cup before turning to the man in the corner of the room holding a small bundle on his lap. _He must be Kirin's husband_, Sakura thought tenderly. Turning back to the woman on the bed, she frowned. The strong woman she first met had melted away, revealing the gentler, more… fragile side to her personality. Kirin looked up, meeting the kunoichi's eyes. She suddenly smiled and beckoned tiredly for Sakura to come over. Two short strides cleared the space between them. She leaned close so she could hear the older woman's hoarse voice whisper, "Sick of us yet, forehead?" She hissed out the last part mockingly, but lightheartedly. Sakura sighed. Kirin was kidding. A low laugh passed both their lips for a short moment only before Sakura recovered enough to ask, "So what's the baby's name? Or have you not thought of one yet?" Naruto knelt beside her and smiled, waiting just as expectantly. Bella listened just as intently from behind them. Arani was with the man.

"Ask Desi. It's his choice." The dark woman smiled, pointing to the pair ahead of them.

"I like Zida. What do you think?" Desi grinned, nodding toward Arani nuzzling the little newborn. A high chime of giggles came from the bundle, gaining a smile from the room.

"Its perfect, honey. I love it." She stretched her arms out toward Arani, who trotted over and placed the child in them. Sakura finally got a good look at little Zida. She had her mothers tan skin, but her fathers red eyes. She turned toward Desi. He was almost the exact opposite of his wife. He was sheet white with piercing red eyes, muscular, where Kirin was not. He smiled, but Sakura wasn't sure if it was just the current event that made him. She then looked at Naruto, who seemed to be only partly paying attention. He was glancing out the window, almost longingly. Bella finally broke the quiet.

"Naru-Kun, I was gonna show Sakura the Bai court. You wanna play me since you're already skipping work?" She had the kunoichi by the shoulders in attempt to make them seem eager to go. It worked almost instantly. Naruto's face cracked into a wide grin, as he stood up, pleased for an excuse to leave.

"We going to teach her how to play of is she just watching?" he asked as they waved goodbye to the others. Bella looked at Sakura and waited.

"Um, I think I'll just watch until I understand it." She finally muttered. With that, they led her out of the hospital.

Kakashi ran through the trees, following not only his nose, but also six others. His hounds found the trail easily enough. They had been going for hours now. The further they went, the harder it was to track. Whoever had led their group was good at running away. He had already fallen for several tricks to confuse their direction; they had expected followers, apparently. He even went in a complete circle half an hour ago. Pakkun had managed to get them back on track at that point. The sky was definitely getting darker when the path became nonexistent. Kakashi didn't know what to do. His dogs had searched miles in each direction, finding nothing. It was as if it had been wiped clean. With no other option, Kakashi called his hounds and led them back toward Konoha.

Sakura was rendered speechless. Whatever this Bai game was, it looked complicated. The field was a setup of various-sized poles jutting from the ground across about 100 square feet of land. Straight across from them was a rack of different balls, stacked across by weight. Racks of metal poles were stacked by height nearby. Naruto turned, almost proudly at the setup before explaining, "Bai is the ultimate training technique I've ever used, plus its fun. The point of it is to either knock your opponent off the poles with your weapon or make them miss the ball. The rules aren't too complex: don't let the ball hit the ground is the first and most obvious. Only taijutsu is allowed except at the thirty-second cheat points, and finally, each player must only hit the ball once. If you hit it more than once, it is an automatic lose. If you miss it's the same. Pretty much, the players take turns keeping the ball in the air while attacking one another." He shrugged and turned toward Bella. She nodded at his explanation as Sakura pictured it in her head.

"You ready to lose, Iz?" He smirked. She grinned right back as she replied, "Puh-leeze, Naruto! You may be good at Bai, but I'm better. I'll kick your ass any day!" Then, without a word of warning, both shot toward the equipment racks and dove for a weapon; Iz grabbed the shortest one while Naruto took the thinnest. They both walked toward the ball rack, and then argued the size they should play. At last Naruto seized a twenty-pounder and tossed it into the air. Isabelle leapt after it, landing gracefully on one of the jutting posts. The blonde took the opposite side of the field and waited. Sakura treaded closer to the match, eager to see how they had fun. It was a fascinating setup; just seeing the playing grounds had intrigued her. A loud feminine voice behind her made her jump.

"All set? Five minutes on the clock… Naruto, how high did you toss it? Bella gets first hit… Ready? GO!!!"


End file.
